MAKE NEW FRIENDS

An imaginative kid makes new friends—literally.

New student Tomasso is struggling; his classmates are perfectly polite, but few are truly welcoming, and even fewer seem interested in genuine friendship. Each evening, Tomasso’s father asks whether the boy’s made new pals; Tomasso promises that he hasn’t yet but will soon. Then, during one particularly lonely recess, Tomasso takes a novel approach. Sketching friendly faces onto kickballs, à la Cast Away, Tomasso makes two new pals, Roland and Barry. Every passing day offers new opportunities for inanimate intimacies: Coco, a smiling carton of milk; Henny, a paper bag with a wicked sense of humor; Karen, a grinning eraser. Now flush with buddies, Tomasso answers Dad’s dinnertime query in the affirmative, prompting his father’s excited suggestion—perhaps they’d like to join the two of them for pizza on Thursday! Stein’s text captures the experience of loneliness with uncomplicated empathy, and the dynamic he establishes between the single father and son is simply lovely. The narrative’s climax delivers affirmation with a just-right sweetness; this portrait of vulnerability offers both guidance to adults seeking to support the youngsters in their lives and reassurance for children. Di Giorgio’s artwork conveys a coziness that teems with authentic detail. Tomasso and his father are tan-skinned; the boy’s class is diverse.

A tender, unexpected portrait of familial acceptance.